Nihao My Concubine: Ryoga's Story
by TheRumicWorld
Summary: How close did Ryoga and Ukyo really become by the end of Nihao My Concubine? What made them go from barking with one another to cooking for each other? This story is for us Ryoga X Ukyo shippers to believe in! All Reviews Appreciated.


"Akane?!" Ryoga would yell aloud, stomping into an unspecified room in search of his beloved crush. Devastated to realize he stumbled into the wrong room.

"Ryoga, help me!" Ukyo called out to Ryoga, assuming him to comply.

"Huh? Oh, it's just you." Ryoga stated, proceeding to turn his back to the captured chef without a hint of concern. Without another word, he began to head out the door of which he came.

"H-Hey, stop joking!" Ukyo irritatedly alerted.

"Hurry up and rescue me you pig headed fool." She would continue angrily.

"Sorry, gotta go. Akane needs me." Ryoga replied as nonchalantly as ever.

"I need you too in case you haven't noticed. Heaven only knows what this animal is planning to do to me, how could you just leave me here with him?!" Ukyo would shout to Ryoga, completely annoyed with his stubborn behavior.

"You're not exactly my idea of prince charming, you know, but beggars can't be choosers so I'm asking you nicely, or do you want me to get mad?!" Ukyo would ask.

"You call that nice? You got yourself into this, lady! I warned you not to run off alone!" Ryoga angrily remarked, remembering her own stubborn behavior from earlier.

"Well throw it in my face why don't ya'?!" Ukyo replied.

"You guys are all alike. Why don't your prove you're a man and /rescue/ me!" She would throw an insult at Ryoga, hoping his pride as a man would cause him to challenge her words.

"Eh, sticks and stones. See ya'." Ryoga replied before turning his back to their once more, ready to leave out.

"W-Wait, Ryoga...! You don't think you could fine Akane on your own, do you? If you rescue me, I'll take you there myself!" Ukyo stated, targeting two of Ryoga's weak points.

"Really?! You're not just saying that are you?" Ryoga asked in reply.

"I'm a woman of my word." Ukyo said with a confident look upon her face.

Sarutoru, the ape man amongst the island that had kidnapped Ukyo, interrupted.

"Can I say something...?" He would ask.

"Go ahead." Ukyo replied.

"To rescue the girl you gotta beat me first, kid." Sarutoru directed his glance at Ryoga before stepping feet a few meters in front of him.

"Sarutoru special attack: Shadow fall!" Sarutoru would announce before sending a blah foggy-like shadow to cover the body of the unprepared Ryoga.

"What the—!?" Was all Ryoga managed out before his entire being was overcome from the dark shadowy fog.

"Give up, your own feelings are now turned against you." The arrogant Sarutoru would announce before breaking into a supposed maniacal laugh.

"And now the nightmares begin." Sarutoru said.

"Ryoga—!" Ukyo would mutter.

Ryoga was stuck in a momentary daydream. Visualizing himself finding the room Akane was in, only to find her enjoying herself with Ranma. Only to be turned back and thoroughly frowned upon by Akane herself as Ranma sat back with a smirk along his face.

"The world... Is a dark and lonely place..." Ryoga spoke quietly to himself.

"Works every time." Sarutoru confidentiality remarked.

Ryoga's palms would begin to admit a glowing sphere. He would slowly but surely raise his hands as the glowing energy orbs in his hands would expand in size.

"And I'm beyond care..." He would state before directing his glare at Sorutoru. The shadowing fog surrounding his body would disappear as his energy would increase.

"What's going on?!" Sarutoru asked immensely confused.

Ryoga drew his hands together, combining the two spheres into one larger variation.

"It was a mistake to make me unhappy! Take this— Shi Shi Hokudan!" Ryoga would shout before firing the energy sphere into one large powerful stream directly at Sarutoru. Causing him to be sent far back, torched, and utterly defeated. However, due to the large amount of negative emotions Ryoga used within that single attack, he felt even more exhausted than usual.

"That'll teach you—" Ryoga would manage out his lips before collapsing face first onto the ground. Ukyo, seeming remotely worried about the man who actually managed to save her, quickly rushed to his aid in order to help him on his feet. It took a few moments for him to come around, but he managed eventually. Slowly coming back to consciousness, he heard the voice of a girl calling out to him.

"Ryoga. Ryoga!" She would say.

"Akane...?" He asked himself. As Ryoga managed his eyes all the way open and could focus his full vision, he saw Ukyo. Standing by his side with his arm rested along her shoulder, and her arm aiding the front and back of his torso.

"Come on kiddo, you gotta go and find Akane, right?" Ukyo shared a warm smile with Ryoga.

"You're such a pain in the fanny sometimes." She would state playfully.

"This is the thanks I get for saving you, huh?" Ryoga asked.

"You're the one without the sense of direction, sugar." Ukyo replied. She continued to help Ryoga out, and as promised, the two would search for Akane together. Ukyo aided Ryoga as he walked for as long as he needed, much to Ryoga's surprise.

"For someone to act so stubborn one second, but a complete sweetheart the next. You're really something, Ukyo..." Ryoga thought to himself as his gaze was momentarily locked on her. He felt genuinely surprised, but as she said, she's a woman of her word. As the two searched many rooms in hopes of finding Akane, Ukyo would stop and look at Ryoga.

"Geez, how are you gonna be able to rescue Akane in this condition?" Ukyo asked.

"Are you doubting me?" Ryoga replied, curiously.

"Of course... You've used that Shi shi— whatever many times. Why are you so tired all of a sudden?" Ukyo responded, unsure to what could've put a tough guy like Ryoga in this condition.

"Hell if I know... Maybe it's the worse I feel, the more energy it uses up..." Ryoga replied as he looked down, beginning to sulk as he remembered his most recent nightmare.

"He made you feel that bad, huh?" Ukyo would state, aiding Ryoga to a nearby seat that stuck out in the long hallway they had traveled.

"I know it wasn't real, but what makes it so bad is— It could be..." Ryoga could do no more but let out a sigh.

"Well for what's it worth, it gave you the spirit to save me, so I owe you a big one." Ukyo replied, unsure how to lift his spirits.

"I don't want any Okonomiyaki." Ryoga was quick to say.

"Your loss, Sugar. But I didn't mean that. Tell you what, I'll cook you anything you want after this is all over. Anything at all." Ukyo said with a smile along her face.

"Eh? Thanks, I guess." Ryoga didn't have much else to say. He didn't want to turn down her generosity, that would just make her angry and hostile, but food wasn't going to help him either.

"Would it kill you to act like a man once in your life! You're too cowardly to tell her how you feel, and yet you're always sulking when you think about what's to come if you don't! Stop being an idiot and do something for a change, you jackass!" Ukyo shouted down to the already upset Ryoga. In her mind, she was speaking words of encouragement, but in Ryoga's reality, she was feeding him more reasons to be upset. But even more so, upset at himself.

"Your pep talks are worse than your general attitude." Ryoga would mumble aloud.

Ryoga continued to sulk, his eyes locked to the ground as he thought about manning up. He wanted to tell Akane, but he just couldn't. The feeling of rejection couldn't possibly be worse than never knowing your chance at all, could it? Ryoga didn't want to find out. He just wished things could go his way. Without warning or buildup, Ukyo suddenly placed her puckered lips upon Ryoga's cheek, much to his surprise.

"You're my friend, Ryoga, and as a friend, I'd like to see you happy for once. Ya' know?" Ukyo let out with a strong sense of sincerity in her tone. Ryoga couldn't find the words to say to her at this point. In a way, that can be considered his first kiss. He was tongue tied, not just by the kiss, but even more so by her generosity. Ukyo's never /this/ nice to him. He liked this side of her, even more than he realized.

"Come on, let's go Sugar. We'll never find Akane if you keep sulking. You can walk now, right?" Ukyo remarked as she began heading in their originally intended direction.

"Uh, yeah... I'll be fine." Ryoga replied. He gotten himself up from the seat and followed along behind Ukyo.

"Ukyo..." Ryoga called out.

"What's up?" Ukyo asked

"I'm sorry." Ryoga quickly stated.

"Huh? For what?" Ukyo retorted.

"Back there, I shouldn't have acted like your life isn't as important as Akane's. The two of you both mean a— I mean, I was just angry that— I just want you to understand that I care too..." Ryoga stumbled over a few words, but he managed his message out. Ukyo wasn't sure where this was coming from, and she wasn't entirely sure what he meant, but none the less, she found it sweet.

"Don't worry about it, Sugar." Ukyo replied.

"H-Hey, what about if I cooked for you? I may not be good for a lot of things, but I know my way around some meals." Ryoga eagerly stated.

"You cook? For me? I guess it wouldn't hurt. I had no idea you can cook." Ukyo responded in surprise.

"I have to do it all the time for myself, so I've learned a few dishes. Now I know I'm no chef Kuonji, but I could make you your favorite Okonomiyaki! With whatever resources we have on this island..." Ryoga replied, laughing nervously as we awaited her response. Ukyo was even more surprised. Why was Ryoga getting all flustered over the idea of cooking? She wasn't too worried about it, but was still curious to see what he could accomplish.

"Saving my life and cooking me a meal in one day? I guess you /could/ pass for a discount Prince Charming." Ukyo jokingly mocked.

"A discount? Geez, still not enough for you?" Ryoga asked in a similarly joking manner.

"What can I say, I like my men able to turn appropriate directions."

"Well it's not my fault."

"Maybe not, but it's still a factor."

"I was able to find you wasn't I?"

"By sheer luck!"

"Lucky for you!"

"You know Ryoga, there's a ton of guys in this world better than you."

"...Oh, is that right...?"

"Yup. But in all honesty, I couldn't have asked for a better jackass."

Ryoga was stopped in his sentences yet again. It wasn't often any female besides Akane would cause him to get tongue tied, but Ukyo kept pulling it off. Her words, as harshly put as they may be, still managed to be comforting. Without further exchange, she would wrap her left arm around his right and lean her head along his shoulder. Ryoga, being as bashful as he is, could do no more but blush a bright shade of red and relax his available arm at the back of his head.

They headed for the exist together, but not before they continued the search for their friends.


End file.
